Condi Rice: Bullied Into Denying Palestinian’s Entry into U.S.

by Maggie • August 5, 2008 • Comments Off on Condi Rice: Bullied Into Denying Palestinian’s Entry into U.S.

WASHINGTON — An American-trained Pakistani neuroscientist with ties to operatives of Al Qaeda has been charged with trying to kill American soldiers and F.B.I. agents in a police station in Afghanistan last month, the Justice Department said Monday night.

Photo Credit: F.B.I., via Getty ImagesAn undated image of a woman said to be Aafia Siddiqui, trained at Brandeis and M.I.T.

WASHINGTON — The United States has revoked the visas of three Palestinian Fulbright scholars whose cases were taken up personally by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice after Israel refused to let them leave Gaza for interviews, U.S. officials said Monday.

Visas for the three, along with a fourth Palestinian student from Gaza who had hoped to come to the U.S. under a different program, were approved after Rice intervened in June but were rescinded last week when “new information” about them was received, the officials said.

Gonzalo Gallegos said the State Department decided to take a “harder” look:

Gallegos declined to comment on the nature of the “new information” about the four Palestinians, one of whom had actually arrived at Dulles International Airport outside Washington before he was told his visa had been revoked and was forced to return to Jordan.

Rice was reportedly “infuriated” when her State Department officials squashed the 7 Fulbright scholarships.

One official said Rice, who had been outspoken about the negative signal the original cancellations sent to Palestinians and the broader Arab world, had ordered a top-to-bottom review of the entire Fulbright scholarship vetting process in the wake of the cancellations.

Here’s the signal Rice needs to get: No entry into the U.S. for anyone from ANY terrorist state. I understand the mission of the State Department’s Fullbright Scholarships, but it is futile to honor the young men and women of Palestine or any terrorist homeland with an American education. We are post 9/11 and the message is clear – get what you can from the U.S., learn the habits and weaknesses of its people, return home and help us take them down.

Rice doesn’t get it and never has. I had great hopes for her leadership within the State Department – what a disappointment – almost from the very beginning. Her bright light has turned dark. Read more at FoxNews.com